Andy Street: Give me more powers to tackle climate change
Andy Street has called for extra powers from the government to enable him to drive through a green economy in the West Midlands.
The region's Conservative Mayor wants to combat climate change by accelerating carbon-neutral plans and building a gigafactory, but says needs more cash and control to get the job done.
He has joined forces with London's Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan to call for fresh devolved powers, enabling both regions to be world leaders in tackling the climate emergency.
The pair have also teamed up with conservationists WWF and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), who are demanding "a decade of action from government at all levels" to address the climate emergency and restore nature.
Mr Street, who leads the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: "The need to tackle the climate change emergency could be the perfect catalyst for the next stage of devolution.
"There are two important aspects to the government’s role in making such a deal happen: leadership and trust.
"Firstly, ministers need to take ownership of the climate change issue, as had begun to happen under Theresa May, and set out ambitious and creative plans for how the country is going to become carbon-neutral.
"Then they need to trust the UK regions to deliver change. The evidence that this will work is there, and there could be no greater sign of trust than a significant devolved funding package."
Mayor Street also put forward his case for a huge gigafactory to serve the growing electric vehicle industry.
He said: "The West Midlands is steeped in car-making history, but if we are to take on California, China and Germany as an automotive hub in the future, we will need huge battery production capacity in the UK.
"The battery cells are heavy to move, and car companies need the plants close to their electric car factories.
"The government’s Faraday Institution has forecast that by 2040, we could need up to 13 battery gigafactories in the UK. With the help of a funding package from the government, the West Midlands could build the first."
A joint statement from the two Mayors said: "Thanks to the local leadership we’re showing and the green initiatives we’re delivering in the West Midlands and London, we’re demonstrating that devolution works.
"But we know there’s even more we could do if we were given greater resources and power by the government.
"This would not only enable us to improve the lives of those we represent, but help us to inspire other countries around the world to ensure we can tackle the climate emergency and protect our precious environment."
Angela Francis, the WWF's economics advisor, said: "Shifting to a green economy is a huge opportunity to invest in the future of our economy, better jobs and quality of life for people right across the country.
"But change is difficult and we need to ensure the people and sectors most affected see the benefits of clean air, better public transport, warmer and more affordable homes in their day to day lives as well as receive the support they need to ensure their job or business is fit for a greener future."
